Hi.

I'm so glad you found your way to my little corner of the neighborhood! Pull up a chair and stay, and let's chat about life on the margins and loving Jesus and, obviously, where to find the best cheese dip and most life-changing books.

I wanted to take a minute and invite all of you, my friends across the oceans and around the corner, to be a part of our vision - to build something beautiful alongside us. To build community and relationships. To build hope and grace and a deep belief in second chances. And third chances and forth ones. To build a movement of neighbors and friends who believe the creation of a place more beautiful and hopeful is not only possible, but something we can all play a role in creating.

I feel such a sense of awe at the holiness of relationships forged across every boundary. I thought I'd share with you 10 lessons I have learned about why relationships matter, drawing us closer to Jesus and making our hearts more like His.

I think of holding my two-year-old in front of middle schoolers who have poor prefrontal cortex development, and also guns. I question all my life choices and tremble slightly at how things might have gone differently.

Sometimes, dreams feel closer then I ever imagined they might. And still, the work is hard and the way seems long. But we are taking both baby and big steps towards big moves and changes, including a community center in our neighborhood and a story that has been germinating in my heart for years.